Opinion | Features

Enough with the cooking shows already says media trading director Sam Tedesco. The market saturation is not doing anything positive for the ratings.
Like most members of the Australian TV viewing audience, I love a good cooking show. Right now, though, I need a break from high-pressure personality-driven food formats.

In this opinion piece Kevin Fitzsimons argues SBS documentary Go Back to Where You Came From demonstrates how people will accept ideas more readily when they are shown them.
‘People don’t do conceptual,’ was one of the best pieces of advice I received early on in my marketing career.
It took a while for me to grasp the value of the advice and even longer to apply it.

Australia's biggest supermarket is struggling. Steve Jones spoke to industry experts about how Woolworths' marketing strategy has faltered, and whether the brand can revive its fortunes.
When Woolworths chief executive Grant O’Brien fell on his sword last month after another disappointing set of quarterly figures, it surprised no one.
Without a chief marketer following the abrupt dismissal of Tony Phillips – and with several other high profile executives exiting stage left in recent months – it was just another in a long line of senior level departures at the embattled supermarket.

Media commentators not condemning the booing of AFL star Adam Goodes are effectively condoning bullying argues Adam Ferrier.
I have always admired Adam Goodes. Dual Brownlow medallist, premiership player, Australian of the Year, continued good work for indigenous people. He certainly deserves respect. Don’t know if I like him or not though, never met the guy.
However, Alan Jones commented on the issue recently and said the reason Goodes is getting booed is just that, ‘Because they just don’t like the fellow’.
What a damaging thing to say, and surely it’s not as simple as that?

After recently switching to ING Direct Ian Sizer says the current ad campaign for the online bank is seriously making him consider switching back.
When you get an ad appearing every single ad break it can be irritating. Some ads though go way beyond irritating and become so infuriating it can totally bugger up your evening.
That’s what happened to me last weekend when my viewing was interrupted on a regular basis by the latest offering from ING Direct.

While storytelling has become one of adland's biggest buzzwords Rob Lowe argues marketers are failing to make the necessary emotional connections.
I remember first hearing people talk about ‘storytelling’ a few years ago. I never quite understood it then and I still don’t fully understand the term now.
In fact, like many others, I think it’s overused marketing jazz.

Ahead of the launch of Seven's new reality format Restaurant Revolution tonightAngely Grecia crunches the numbers to see what sort of a buzz the show is creating on Twitter.
The Restaurant Revolution - the new foodie reality TV-show that sees ordinary Aussies designing and running their own pop-up restaurant to win a grand prize of $200,000 - is alive and well on social media.

Despite all the hype the news dinosaurs still dominate the plains of online news in Australia argues The New Daily editorial director Bruce Guthrie in an address to the Rural Press Club.
One way or another, as a journalist and editor, I’ve had a front-row seat at the migration of news from print to online over the past 20 years. And whenever I reflect on that sometimes painful, often clumsy process I am reminded of the joke about the man who walks into a bar with a frog sitting on his head.

In this opinion piece Mumbrella's Alex Hayes argues Lexus' new Heartbeat Car stunt will not raise the pulses of ordinary punters.
I have to admit the new 'world first' Lexus 'Heatbeat Car' leaves me cold.
It comes across as technology for technology's sake - they could have achieved the same results with CGI.

In this guest post, Shabaz Hussain wonders what a posh British drink’s surprise social media win at Wimbledon says about sports sponsorship for brands.
According to a recent Brand Intelligence Report from Amobee the brand most associated with The Championships at Wimbledon in 2015 across social and digital is Pimm’s – a traditional cocktail drink that spectators enjoy at the event.
What makes this more interesting is that fact that they were not an official sponsor of The Championships.

With more than $200m of business in play in Australia due to global pitches. But David Angell asks whether swapping partners will achieve much for these multinationals.
Do you watch soap operas? Of course you don’t, you’re all busy executives with crippling workloads.
But I bet most of you can remember them from younger days.

While some of the figures in the latest RECMA rankings are questionable Nic Christensen argues they still provide an interesting insight on the state of the media industry.
There's something about the RECMA numbers that just does not make sense. But when you ask a bunch of agencies to tell you how much they spend every year you're likely to get some very interesting results.
But despite the inconsistencies they are still the best map of media agencyland, are provide insights around the challenges of staff churn, the rise of programmatic and the broader challenge of falling client spend which are actually quite telling.

The way that blogger and influencer outreach is currently being executed is fast becoming unsustainable, and the industry should be worried argues Louisa Claire
When bloggers began sharing the brands they loved and used in their everyday lives, readers found their endorsement authentic and relatable; it came from someone “just like them”. Research found such backing from “real people” was more successful in swaying purchasing decisions than celebrity endorsements, and marketers opened their eyes to a massive opportunity to leverage bloggers’ voices.
The concept of blogger outreach was born.

Sixth sense in fashion; no sense of an impending social media disaster

Dr Mumbo always likes to see a social media brand farce unfold. So enjoy this one brought to you from Gasp Jeans (click to enlarge):

Comments

How is it that retailers believe they can abuse their potential customers and get away with it.

Telcos do it, the media does it, now retail is doing it.

I cannot see it ending well for any of those industries.

Customers have long memories and good bull dust sensors.

Debbie Downer
30 Sep 11
7:58 am

According to a few people on G+, even UK media have picked up on the story. I can’t believe the level of effort it takes to be that obnoxious – I mean, they didn’t just fob off the complaint, they turned it into a special project.

kirill
30 Sep 11
10:12 am

As an elite retailer, whom caters for celebrities, whom like wearing special dresses, we must say “whom” a lot. Whom, if you did not know, is a word whom refers to whom. Whom!

Good for them. How refreshing to see a brand with such a clear idea of itself be prepared to stick to its point of difference. If only such honesty was more common the High St would be a lot less bland.

The store manager appeared on Today Tonight and Sunrise is nothing but an obnoxious twat. He still stands by his decision, backs up his horrid staff member, and ‘thanked’ the customer for the “excellent PR” she has given their company.

Has he not been listening to the reports through the media and the outrage that’s been expressed on Twitter??

I believe the hashtag was #GASPfail, not #CUSTOMERfail.

dch
30 Sep 11
12:49 pm

What are the odds this guy had more linkedIn connections a few days ago.

As someone who spends serious money in Chapel Street and have bought from GASP before …. they’re SO off the consideration list. I really don’t want to be associated with arseholes and I certainly don’t want to give them my money. Yes they will get a lot of PR – but really, would you buy from them now? Choice and a decent bank account is a wonderful thing!

Bob
30 Sep 11
2:30 pm

is it just me or does the fact that this lead Today Tonight, ACA and 7pm project indicate that it’s actually a very well orchestrated PR stunt, possibly pulled off by Ruslan Kogan’s PR guru?

Bob
30 Sep 11
2:47 pm

led

Tony Bee
30 Sep 11
4:27 pm

A huge risk, if that’s the case Bob, and likely doomed to fail! Also, I hate it when people spell “led” as “lead”. They are two different words.

audrey
30 Sep 11
6:19 pm

if this is a stunt, then gasp have hands down the ballsiest marketing department in the country.

don’t actually think this will affect them either way. the people who buy their hideous clothes will agree with what the area manager said, everyone else will continue to give gasp a very, very wide berth.

Vuki - Click PR
30 Sep 11
8:23 pm

@Bob While I do believe this is almost certainly a stunt, I had nothing to do with it.

overthinker?
30 Sep 11
10:53 pm

Why is the original email sent to Matt, but addressed to Chad. Then the response is sent from Online Enquiries but was written by a Matthew as reported.

Also If it were a real reply the subject line should include ‘Re:’… maybe?

Grant
5 Oct 11
1:17 pm

I think the biggest “authenticity” red flag is that someone was looking for bridesmaid dresses there. Pretty sure that’s not on the normal bridesmaid shopping itinerary?

Keep going
5 Oct 11
9:34 pm

I am going to take a different view on this one.

Australian retail is largely a bland carbon copy of itself all over the country. Big Westfield shopping centres filled with all the same stores 5-8km from each other filled with the same stores, same products, same inept and disenfranchised staff.

If nothing else Gasp have passionate staff who know what they offer and are single minded in their approach to the market. I’m certain this isn’t a bad thing.

Peter Rush
6 Oct 11
1:49 pm

People get on these blogs and with spit and fingers flying gleefully trash each others product. The offended trash-ees then angrily defend said product. Sound familiar? Assuming he’s for real, this guy’s my fuckin’ hero of the week.

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